Now that we’re heading into spring and the flowers (and hopefully soon the sun) are blooming, I can’t help but think that a change in the weather should be celebrated with a fun afternoon pampering yourself or enjoying getting pampered with friends.

Especially after that record rainy March!

Lucky for us, Thirst is right on the RiverPlace Esplanade, a beautiful location and near some of the city’s best businesses – all that can give you a boost into Spring!

Here’s our prescription for the perfect relaxing and pampering afternoon on the RiverPlace Esplanade –
grab a friend!

1:00 pm – swing by Thirst’s Cellar Room where you can taste wines by six revolving featured wineries.
Open 1 – 7 pm Wednesday – Sunday. Get a light bite to eat if you want – artisan cheeses, olives, salami.

2:00 pm - Book a facial or massage at Portland Spa & Boutique (Book early – they fill up!) I recommend the relaxing organic facial or warm stone massage and you’ll feel your worries melt away.And /Or
Get a treatment to make you feel ready to bare some skin for spring! Indulge a tan at the Spa’s Organic Bronze Bar and also check out Pink & White Nail Salon’s luxurious pedicure so your toes are ready for those strappy sandals.

3:30 pm - Once you’re relaxed and refreshed, scoot over to Mia’s Boutique to browse some of the chic clothing that they have. Locally owned, stylish, fun and unique.

4:30 pm – Packages in hand, the perfect ending to any day features a glass of wine, appetizer and dinner, so walk over to Thirst Bistro. Soak up the sun on our patio and enjoy our happy hour specials. Get a wine flight and share our famous hot crab dip or baked brie. Stay for dinner and get our seared ahi, pulled pork on truffled polenta or delicious ceviche. Finish with our decadent chocolate bread pudding with caramel sauce. Make a reservation!

Enjoy one of Portland’s best neighborhoods – The RiverPlace Esplanade!

We suggest making reservations well in advance for most of the above activities so the businesses can take extra special care of you!

Now that we are deep into February, chances are you’re already thinking about spring and excited about the fruits and vegetables that will soon be in season. However, there are still plenty of flavorful fruits and vegetables available to enjoy. Here are a few vegetables and fruits enjoy as we make our way into spring:

Kale

This leafy and vitamin-rich vegetable has a mild flavor similar to cabbage and comes in many varieties, most of which are deep green with touches of shades of blue or purple. Although many vegetables are best during the summer, kale really shines during the winter months! Kale should be eaten within two to three days of storage in the refrigerator and can be prepared in the same way as other greens, such as spinach. It is excellent braised with a little wine & garlic. Kale is great in salads, soup, and can also be baked to make kale chips.

Collard Greens

This soul food staple is a variety of cabbage that instead of growing a head grows in a loose rosette at the top of a tall stem and tastes like a cross between cabbage and kale. Rich in calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C, this vegetable stays fresh up to five days and in the well-known Southern style of cooking is boiled down with a chunk of bacon or salt pork. However, collard greens can be prepared in any of the healthier ways spinach and cabbage are prepared.

Kumquats

This teeny little citrus looks is orange with an edible, sweet rind and very tart, dry flesh and can keep refrigerated for up to a month. It may be small, but this fruit packs a serious punch and livens up dishes when served as a garnish, pairs very well with seafood, and can also be pickled or candied.

Grapefruit

I often stroll past the grapefruits in the citrus section of the market, paying no attention to the fruit, but once I try a dish with grapefruit, I emember why this is such a great addition. It’s tart yet sweet flesh is refreshing and vibrant and lends lightness to what it is paired with. The flesh of grapefruit can range from pale yellow-pink to deep ruby pink and keep best wrapped in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Grapefruit can be served numerous ways and simply eaten raw, but is also a lovely addition to salads and works well in drinks, sauces, and vinaigrettes.

Traditions for approaching the new year always includes making resolutions, usually involving things such as eating healthier, working out
more, procrastinating less . . . However, beyond doing these same resolutions, why not add in a resolution that you’ll actually LOOK FORWARD to? Become more knowledgeable about the world of wine! With wine, there a never-ending world of learning and the best part is that it’s something fun that you’ll enjoy! Here are a few ways to learn more in 2012 about the world of wine:

1) Come to a wine tasting. Every Thursday, Thirst hosts a FREE wine tasting in our Bistro with different wines/wineries featured. We also have our Tasting Room open Wednesday – Sunday 1 – 7 pm. For a nominal fee taste up to 18 wines – Wilamette and Walla Walla – we rotate wineries / wines every 4 months. So there’s always something new to try. See Schedule

2) Try a class. We have lots scheduled – Wine & Cheese, Wine & Chocolate, What About Wine Class (a 101 class on steroids).
All fun and informative! See Classes

3) Attend a wine dinner. They are a great way to learn about a specific winery, wine varietal, and region and even meet the wine
makers. Our Bergevin Lane Dinner on 1/28 is sold out – but we have one with J Scott Winery on 2/3 and will have more this Spring / Summer. Tickets are limited and pre-purchased by calling us or on our website. See Dinners

4) Join our Thirsty Circle Wine Club. It’s free to become a member and a great way to try out different varietals with the benefit
of having them shipped straight to your door. With quarterly shipments of three bottles, exclusive members-only events, and discounts on wine and dining, this is a great deal and a fun way to be more involved in trying wines you might not otherwise have the chance to. See Info

I went to the library with my kids today. I’m a little embarrassed to say that it was probably my first time at the library in 20 years. We’ve gone for events – but not to borrow books and I felt a shiver of pride when I got my first library card in probably 30 years! The library has definitely progressed since 1991…

I was overwhelmed seeing all the electronic check out terminals and catalogues, but my stubborn pride also stood in the way of immediately asking for help. “I can figure this out”, I thought. I think the adult section would have been pretty straightforward. However, I was looking for books for the kids on The Solar System. I went to sections, clearly marked as reference for kids – but didn’t see anything after scouring each book in the multiple shelves for about 20 minutes. So I checked out the computer. Tons of Solar System Books listed – but still catalogued with the Dewey decimal system, which has too many numbers for me, and no sections listed (at least that I saw…). Finally, I asked for help from a librarian who looked friendly… she helped me find everything I needed – mission accomplished.

As I was driving home, I thought about how intimidated I was at the Library. I love new things – and am not usually ‘shy’ to ask for help. But I thought something that was so commonplace like a library should be familiar no matter how long it had been since I last visited. But then I thought, maybe that is how some of our customers feel about wine. Something that is in our everyday life, however, like a Library, which is evolving and constantly getting new books – wine is also a never ending journey. Think of each book in the library as a bottle of wine from a totally different producer, region, varietal and then vintage!

What I took away from this was how the librarian who helped me made me feel at ease. At Thirst Bistro, our Tasting Room and even for our Private Parties, we have a fabulous staff who are all knowledgeable about wine, however they all embrace the fact that everyone starts somewhere on the journey to learning about the World of Wine. So when you are at Thirst, ask questions. We don’t claim that we know EVERYTHING about wine – but we can answer a lot of your questions and also love a fruitful discussion. What I love about wine is that there is always something new to know and you never stop learning once you go down this path

Welcome to our NEW Blog – the old one was so seldomly posted to – we decided to start over!

WINE COUNTRY IN THE CITY!
We just launched this new website – and did so to celebrate our business turning 5 (in March) and also expanding (again). We still have our Bistro and Private Party Rooms, but have opened our Cellar Room as a Tasting Room Tuesday – Sunday 11 am – 6 pm. Brent Braun, who has worked at Thrist for about 2 years, is our Tasting Room Manager. He is very knowledgeable about wine and a fun guy to hang out with as well. At any given time – we are featuring 10 revolving wineries and 18 wines. You can taste 6 for free, then it is a nominal fee to taste more. You can purchase the wines by the glass to enjoy in the tasting room as well as some food. We also sell the wines to go by the bottle. We’re happy to tell you that the prices for the wines in the tasting room aare close to the winery’s retail prices!

Some Featured Wines in the Tasting Room

MENU & STAFF EVOLUTION
Our Menu is constantly evolving. I like to try out new ideas! This weekend we are featuring Penn Cove Musells and Manila Clams sauteed with garlic, chorizo and white wine. Favorites like our Thai Chicken Sausage Burger, Thirst Burger adn Seared Ahi remain stars of the menu as well. We also have Pastry Chef Ashley Wilson making delicious desserts for us – White Chocolate Orange Mousse, House Made Truffles, Frozen Panna Cotta, Espresso Creme Brule and more! Yum! We still have my specialty, Bittersweet Chocolte Bread Pudding.

And Special Thanks to:Amy Drews, owner of Simply Fine Design for her fast redesign of the website.Marc Wallis for gorgeous, updated photography for Thirst.Devon Duncan for her fantastic photos taken last Summer/Fall.